Emily Kay Sanner

Emily Kay Sanner, 36, died Aug. 29 after battling cancer for five years. Her devotion to her son, Sylas, and her daughter, Lyric, gave her the strength to keep fighting. Cancer finally claimed her body but not her spirit. Emily was born Feb 25, 1981, to J. Michael and Cathy Sanner in Kansas City, Missouri. The family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, where Emily graduated from Edmond Santa Fe High School. She attended the University of Kansas, graduating in 2003 with her bachelor's degree in psychology. She belonged to Gamma Phi Beta sorority. After graduation, she returned to Oklahoma City and Edmond, where she worked in child behavior management for Integris Health and Positive Changes. Along with her beloved children and her parents, Emily is survived by her brother, Christopher; her sister, Kathryn; her nephews, Jett and Jaxson; her grandfathers, Bud Fanning and James Sanner; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Emily's family and friends will celebrate her life at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at Smith & Kernke N. May Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in New York or to the Stephenson Cancer Center through the University of Oklahoma Foundation.